The Eitkaf exercise started with the sunset in the evening of the 20th day of Ramazan and those sitting in Eitkaf will finish seclusion after sighting of the Shawwal moon.
Special arrangements have been made at various mosques, including Data Darbar Mosque, Badshahi Mosque, Shadman, Jamia Ashrafia, Jamia Naeemia, Mansoora, Minhajul Quran, Raiwind, Masjid Ibrahim, and various other mosques to facilitate the faithful to accomplish the exercise in the process of seclusion.
The faithful from different countries, who specially arrived here, have also started Eitkaf in Minhajul Quran mosque, a spokesman of the mosque said.
In some mosques, including Data Darbar, Auqaf Department has made special arrangements for Iftar and Sehri for the faithful sitting in Eitkaf while in small mosques, the faithful sitting in Eitkaf have made their own arrangements for Sehri and Iftari. In Data Darbar mosque, devotees of the great saint Hazrat Data Ganj Buksh also made arrangements for Iftar and Sehri for those sitting in Eitkaf. The mosques have been illuminated.
The holy month of Ramazan is a month in which the faithful make all out efforts to get blessings of Allah Almighty through different ways. Some arrange Iftar for faithful and food for needy people while there are quite a large number of people, who used to help the needy quietly in this sacred month.
Due to the recent devastating earthquake, the faithful are in a state of grief over loss of precious lives. Women also sat in Eitkaf in their homes to spend the maximum time in prayers to earn blessings and mercy of Allah Almighty. Some women also sit in Eitkaf for only last three days of the holy month of Ramazan.
Religious scholars told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that the last Ashra of the holy month is full of maximum blessings for the faithful. The faithful should make all out efforts to get the maximum blessings through their good acts and worship of Allah Almighty.
They said that Eitkaf is a Sunnah (practice of the Holy Prophet PBUH) and carries a multitude of the blessings of Almighty. They added that Eitkaf is a worship that helps a person purge his soul and elevate his religious spirit.